Chinese aircraft giant picks Paris over London for air links http://t.co/Ef9KfO1o
All direct flights to Australia from the UK & Ireland
| Flights to | Code | Flights from | Airline Name | Book now | Route to | Route from | Tooltip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | MEL | London Heathrow | QANTAS |  | flights from London Heathrow to Melbourne, Australia | Flights to Melbourne, Australia from London Heathrow | |
| Sydney | SYD | London Heathrow | BA (British Airways) | | flights from London Heathrow to Sydney, Australia | flights to Sydney, Australia from London Heathrow | Book directly with BA for the cheapest flight on the internet. |
| Sydney | SYD | London Heathrow | QANTAS | | flights from London Heathrow to Sydney, Australia | flights to Sydney, Australia from London Heathrow | |
| Sydney | SYD | London Heathrow | Virgin Atlantic | | flights from London Heathrow to Sydney, Australia | flights to Sydney, Australia from London Heathrow |
Destination summary
Despite being about as far away from the UK as its possible to get, Australia feels like a close neighbour, albeit a neighbour on happy pills. The Aussies combine the can-do attitude of America with the aggression and humour of the Mother Land a winning combination that has seen Antipodean actors storm Hollywood, pop stars top the charts and their sports teams rule the world.
This gargantuan continent-cum-country offers a rich blend of cosmopolitan cities, ancient Aboriginal culture, unique landscapes, and thousands of miles of unspoilt coast - including the stunning Great Barrier Reef.
The first stop on most trips Down Under is Sydney, Australia's largest and most exciting city, and home to two of the most recognisable structures in the world, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. The majority of Australia's major cities hug the vast coastline from fast growing Perth in the west, Victorian Adelaide and refined Melbourne in the south, to booming Brisbane on the eastern seaboard and Darwin on the northern tip. If the forward thinking cities epitomise the new Australia, you dont have to travel far inland to witness scenery that has remained virtually untouched for millions of years, including two of natures most arresting creations - Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the equally striking Olgas.
Flight summary
The first thing to remember when searching for flights to Australia is that you are literally flying halfway round the world to get there. Why state such an obvious point? Firstly, as a reminder that truly cheap flights to Australia really are very difficult to come by - the fuel costs alone of the 10,500 mile journey to Sydney, together with the requirement to for at least one stopover, make these flights very expensive for airlines to operate. The other key point associated with this is that you can expect to spend the best part of a day in the confined space of an aircraft seat, so you might as well try make your journey as comfortable as possible. With this in mind, we would suggest ignoring any adverts for cheap Australia flights which display prices of below £500 - these will either be for one-way flights, or the price will exclude taxes and charges, which tend to get pretty steep, considering the number of airports you might have to pass through on the way.
We have seen flights to Sydney and Melbourne with China Eastern advertised for around £540, but we have yet to successfully confirm online availability of these prices! It is also worth pointing out that user reviews of China Eastern are extremely mixed, much as though we love the idea of a brief stopover in Shanghai!
Generally, the cheapest prices on flights to Australia are to Sydney, but flights to Melbourne can be equally competitive. In terms of distance, Perth is 1500 miles closer to London than Sydney, and this saving on fuel can sometimes result in cheaper prices to Australia's western gateway. Alternatively, Royal Brunei Airlines often provide cheap deals to Darwin via their hub in Bandar Seri Begawan. Other cities with one-stop flight connections from the UK include Brisbane, Cairns and Adelaide, although it is not yet possible to find one-stop flights to Canberra, the capital of Australia, despite the city's ambitious plans to act as a reliever airport for Sydney's overcrowded Kingsford Smith airport.
Connecting flights
Although it is not possible (or at least commercially viable) to operate non-stop flights to Australia from the UK, through-flight bookings with British Airways, Virgin and Qantas should avoid the need for a change of aircraft, although you will still have to get off, and quite possibly change seats, at the stopover airport. To be fair, on a journey of this length, any stopover will be a very welcome relief!
Many Asian airlines aim to offer seamless connections on flights to Australia, although the amount of time you can expect to hang around in the transfer airport will vary considerably between one airline and the next. To many people this isn't such a bad thing, because almost all the airports you are likely to pass through offer ultra-modern facilities with a very high standard of shopping and other amenities. Some airports, most notably Changi in Singapore, also offer travellers the opportunity to get a few hours' sleep in a proper bed without having to leave the terminal, whereas Dubai is perhaps best known for having some of the best duty free shops in the world. Depending on how much time you have between flights, you might also get the opportunity to do a quick sightseeing tour. Many travellers go one step further, and use the stopover for a quick city break.
Prices
For the reasons mentioned above, the prices of flights to Australia are nothing like as keen as they were a few years ago, but if you think in terms of the cost per mile travelled, and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that a trip to Australia offers, you're still getting excellent value!
Whereas a couple of years ago, we would have said that any flights below £750 represented good value, we would now suggest that you are getting quite a good deal if you are spending less than £1,000, and still using one of the top ranking airlines such as British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Emirates or Qantas.
Naturally, flights to Australia are much more popular during the British winter, with demand arising even more steeply over the Festive Period. Prices can get reach astronomical heights if there is a major sporting event on, such as the Ashes. Note that both Qantas and Virgin have traditionally offered flight packages which include a number of free domestic flights within Australia. Including Australia as part of a round the world trip is also extremely popular.
Domestic flights
The huge size of Australia, combined with the long distances between the major cities, make flying the best way of getting around the country, although many travellers will opt to go by road or rail for the (relatively) short distance between Sydney and Melbourne. Australia offers some great train journeys into the interior for those with plenty of time to spare.
Popular airlines for domestic Australia flights include Qantas, and their low-cost subsidiary Jetstar, as well as Virgin Blue. Note that most cities in Australia are served by just one major airport, although some of Jetstar's Melbourne flights operate from Melbourne's low-cost airport at Avalon (AVV). Gold Coast airport (OOL) is also a possible alternative from Brisbane.
Quick Facts
- Country Code: AU
Your Comments (6)
David Holmes
James Avery
The standard industry terminology is to label any flight which is a continuation on the same aircraft with the same flight number as direct. Flights which go straight to their destination are termed non-stop - and that covers most flights from the UK, but obviously not flights to Australia, which go via either Hong Kong, Singapore or Bangkok.
David Holmes
James Avery
If yuo take a connecting flight, you will have to go inside the terminal, and there can be a long wait for the onward flight to Australia - but this really depends on the airline. Some people are very happy for the opportunity to stop in Dubai, but others just want to get on with their trip. I'd check times closely and go with whatever suits you the best.
Anne Wayne
James Avery